TEMPLATE Creative Business Private Plan

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BUSINESS PLAN FOR CREATIVE PEOPLE

a template by Creative Plus Business

Welcome to the business plan template for creative people!

Having said that, it's not actually possible to create a perfect template for a creative person's business plan ? a business plan is unique to each creative endeavour, and unique to the person building their business. However, this document can hopefully give you some guidelines and ask some thought-provoking questions to get you on the right track.

Here you'll find ideas and suggestions to help you create your own business plan, one that tells the story of your creative business in an interesting and engaging way. The thoughts are organised into the sections you'd traditionally expect to find in a business plan ? ? Introductions ? Admin and Management ? Money ? Marketing and Business Development ? The Future

You can work through the sections in any order you like. There's no rules about this, tackle each section as you feel like it. A few more suggestions: ? Be as honest and focused as you can, and look at all your ideas critically; ? Research aspects of your business and industry that you don't know about ? that's where the

real value lies; ? If an area seems too hard, come back to it later ? but don't avoid it altogether, those areas

could end up being the most enlightening; ? If any questions or areas don't seem to apply directly to you, don't leave them out straight

away. At least have a think about them, and do a little bit of research.

This document can help you design a "public" business plan, but that's not the main aim. The idea is that you'll use this template to create a plan for your eyes only! It will help you go through the process of planning, because that's the most important part. It will help you work out your business, your way!

Of course, the information you uncover can be used in a more traditional business plan, one designed to give to others. For this template and others that might help you, check out the links on the next page.

It typically takes at least a week to complete a good plan. Most of that time is spent in research and re-thinking your ideas and assumptions. Make time to do the job properly, because your business deserves your time and respect. You won't regret the effort, even if it's hard work. Good luck!

Owner and Creator, Creative Plus Business

Business Plan for Creative People is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial--ShareAlike License.

RESOURCES FOR CREATIVE BUSINESS PLANNING

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Websites

? Creative Plus Business: Business Skills for Creative People ? The Right Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success by Jennifer Lee. ? Australian Design Unit Tool Kit: Wide selection of guides and templates aimed at creative individuals. ? Creative + Entrepreneur: Do Your Great Work...with Less Blood, Sweat & Tears on the Hustle ? Business Model Generation: Systematically understand, design & differentiate your business model. ? The On Ramp: Business Planning for Average Humans ? Making Ideas Visible: Visual and Creative Facilitation ? Studio Exsto: Develop your business, so you can build a sustainable and successful career ? David Parrish - T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity ? GOVT Business Plan Portal: Business and Marketing plan templates, guides and further information.

Books for Creative Business

? 344 Questions: The Creative Person's Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, Survival, and Artistic Fulfillment, by Stefan G. Bucher. New Riders, 2011.

? Art of Self Promotion, The: Successful promotion by visual artists and craftspeople by S Forster. (1995) Allen and Unwin in association with the Australia Council.

? Artist's Marketing and Action Plan Workbook, by Jonathon Talbot with Geoffrey Howard. Jonathan Talbot, New York, 2005. ? Arts Marketing, edited by Fionla Kerrigan, Peter Fraser and Mustafa ?zbilgin. Elsevier (Butterworth Heinemann) UK, 2004. ? Business Model Generation, by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur. John Wiley & Sons, 2010. ? Business of Being an Artist, The: (3rd edition) by Daniel Grant. Allworth Press, New York, 2000. ? Craft and Art: The Business by Elizabeth White. Elliot Right Way Books, Great Britain, 2002. ? Creative ? Make It Your Business: How to Avoid Mistakes and Achieve Success as a Working Actor, by Paul Russell. Back

Stage Books, 2008. ? Creative as a Business: Strategies for Success, by Brian O'Neil. Vintage, 2009. ? Creative Professionally: Raw Facts about Careers in Creative, by Robert Cohen & James Calleri. Macmillan, 2009. ? Creative, Inc: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business, by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy

Deangdeelert Cho. Chronicle Books, 2010. ? Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs, by Kristen Fischer. iUniverse, 2007. ? Earning a Living in the Visual Arts and Crafts (3rd edition) by James Stokes, Hale & Irenmonger, 1997 ? E-Myth Contractor, The: Why Most Contractors' Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It, by Michael E. Gerber.

Harper Business, 2003. ? Flying Solo: How to Go It Alone in Business, by Robert Gerrish and Sam Leader. Allen & Unwin, 2006

? Freelance Confidential: The Whole Truth About Successful Freelancing, by Amanda Hackwith. Rockable Press, 2011. ? Freelancing for Australians for Dummies, by Monica Davidson and Susan M. Drake. John Wiley Publishing, 2008. ? Getting Art There: An Artist's Marketing Manual - 2nd Edition. Commissioned by the National Association for the Visual

Arts, by Su Hodge and Janet Millar. NAVA, 2008 ? How to be a Working Actor: The Complete Guide to Building a Professional Career, by James Duke. Virgin Books, 1994. ? How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself without Selling your Soul (5th edition) by Caroll Michels. Henry

Holt and Company, New York, 2001. ? Money for Visual Artists (9th Edition). Theory in Practice Series. National Association for the Visual Arts, 2008. ? My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire, by Michelle Goodman. Seal

Press, 2008. ? Principles of Successful Freelancing, The, by Miles Burke. SitePoint, 2008. ? Right Brain Business Plan, The: A Creative Visual Map for Success, by Jennifer Lee. New World, 2011. ? Wealthy Freelancer, The: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle, by Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage and

Ed Gandia. Alpha, 2010. ? What's my plan? A Guide to Developing Arts Marketing Plans by Dr Sharron Dickman. Australia Council, Sydney, 2000.

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1. INTRODUCTIONS: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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You won't need an executive summary in a private plan, but you will for a more traditional public plan. It can also be very useful in terms of summing up what your business is all about.

Write this section last, once you've completed the whole process. Your summary is likely to be one page for start-up creative businesses, and no more than two pages for a more established business.

Include the key points contained in the finished plan, and that you would cover in a five-minute meeting if you were discussing yourself as a business based on this plan: ? Your Mission ? What is your particular goal for your life and your career? ? Product/Service ? What specifically is it that you sell? ? Support Team ? Who are the people in your life who will help you accomplish your vision? ? Market Analysis ? What do you think the future holds for your business and your industry? ? Marketing ? What are your strategies to get yourself into the marketplace? ? Financials ? How much income do you need to live? What percentage of your income are you

setting aside to fund your creative expenses, living expenses, and savings for the future?

2. INTRODUCTIONS: THE BASICS

In this section, you'll need to include and define various aspects of your business offerings, an overview of your industry, the history of your field and any current happenings, your personal goals and objectives, elements that add to your success and the ownership of your business. This section is the backbone of your Business Plan and will set the stage for the information included in the rest of the plan.

Products and Services: What do you offer in your business? This can be short and general, with room for more explanation in the next section.

Mission Statement: Many businesses have a brief mission statement, usually in 30 words or fewer, explaining their reason for being and their guiding principles. What drives you? What keeps you motivated? What are you passionate about?

Business Philosophy: What is important to you in business? What are your ethics, values and reasons for being in this profession?

Describe your creative industry. Is it a growth industry? What changes do you foresee in the industry, short term and long term? How will your business be poised to take advantage of them? If you work across multiple industries, you need to answer these questions for all of them.

Describe your most important business strengths and core competencies. What factors will make the business succeed? What do you think your major competitive strengths will be? What background experience, skills, and strengths do you personally bring to this new venture?

Legal form of ownership: Sole trader, partnership, proprietary limited company, co-operative? Why have you selected this form?

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3. INTRODUCTIONS: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

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Describe in depth your products or services. What do you offer? You should be able to describe what it is that you are selling, as well as identify what makes your product or service unique.

Have a look at this list and see if any of these trigger your ideas for offerings:

? Advertising ? Animation ? Comedy ? Commercials ? Composing ? Corporate Video ? Dance ? Design services ? Drama ? Drawing/Illustration

? Fashion ? Film/Video ? Games ? Graphics ? Improvisation ? Interiors/Buildings ? Landscape/Gardens ? Multimedia ? Performance ? Photography

? Radio ? Teaching ? Television ? Theatre ? Training and

Education ? Visual Art ? Voice Work ? Web Work ? Writing

Some questions about your offerings: ? What are your qualifications in these areas? ? What strengths or weaknesses do you have in this area? ? What factors will give you competitive advantages or disadvantages? ? What do your products or services cost? How did you come up with this figure? ? What have you based this assumption on?

Your Notes

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4. INTRODUCTIONS: YOUR MISSION STATEMENT

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A mission statement might seem a little silly, but it can be a useful tool for helping you to stay on track and understand your own vision and values. It can also provide you with clarity about what you're doing and why, and help fuel your sense of purpose.

There's a big difference between writing a corporate mission statement, and writing a personal and/or creative one. The best place to start is with yourself. Brainstorm around some of the following question to get clarity about who you are and what you believe in. ? What are your values? Do you believe in honesty, creativity, wealth, helping others, following

your muse, love, danger, self-reliance, justice, community service, efficiency ? what? ? What do you do well? Where in your life have you experienced success? If you can't think of

anything concrete, what have others praised you for or seen as your successes? ? Who inspires you? Are there any well-known people you look up to? What about friends or

family? What qualities do they all have in common? ? What moments in your life (personal/business/creative) have made an impact on you? Why? ? What do you love about your life? When you're happy, what's going on for you? What can you

learn from this? ? Where would you like to improve in your life? Again, look at all the elements of your personal,

business and creative life. When are you at your best? What about your worst? ? If you didn't have to worry about money any more, and your days were all completely free of

other distractions ? what would you do with your life? ? Finally ? what promises have you made to yourself about the kind of life you want to live?

Now, the tricky part. Try and distill this all in to one sentence. Start with the word "To...". For example ? ? "To create beautiful paintings that show to world in a new light and move people." ? "To help families connect and celebrate by taking photographs of their children." ? "To create written pieces that tell an engaging story and explain heartfelt ideas."

Make it short ? memorable ? concrete ? inspiring!

Your goal with a mission statement is to answer some of the big `why' questions ? why are you doing this? Why does your business exist? What is your purpose? Why this and not simply a job working for someone else?

If you can explain this to yourself and others, it will positively affect every aspect of your personal, business and creative life ? and give you a head start when it comes to your marketing.

In terms of creating a mission statement for your business, two videos can be very helpful ? ? How to Write a Mission statement That Doesn't Suck ? by the Fast Company ? How to write a Mission Statement ? Virtual Strategist

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